[Popular Finance Books] Your First ETF Finance Book — Chen Zhongming

📘 "Your First ETF Investment Book" - A must-read for beginner investors by Chen Chongming

Hello everyone~ Today I'd like to share with you a book on finance that's become incredibly popular in the Chinese-speaking world in recent years— "Your First ETF Book." Author Chen Chong-ming , a renowned Taiwanese financial writer and retired teacher, has been a huge hit since its publication because it uses a simple and accessible approach to teach people how to invest long-term through ETFs (index-based stock funds) and gradually achieve financial freedom. 📈💵

Unlike many difficult investment books, this one is particularly suitable for beginners because it emphasizes "simple methods + long-term persistence." You don't need to constantly monitor stock prices or have a sophisticated financial background to start investing. After reading it, I was struck by the thought: Financial management really can be this simple!


📖 Book Background

1. About the Author

  • Chen Chongming : A retired middle school teacher in Taiwan and a well-known financial writer.
  • He is known as a "stock investment expert" and has been researching ETFs and regular investment methods for a long time.
  • Because I have accumulated stable passive income through ETFs, I hope to help more people, especially office workers, develop correct financial management concepts.

2. Book positioning

  • Getting Started Guide : Designed for beginners or those new to investing, this guide explains what ETFs are, how to choose one, and how to start investing.
  • Long-term investment philosophy : emphasize "don't speculate in the short term, don't be greedy for quick gains, and accumulate wealth steadily."

📊 What is ETF?

ETF stands for Exchange-Traded Fund . Simply put:

  • It is a basket of stocks that tracks an index (such as Taiwan 50 or S&P 500).
  • Investing in ETFs means buying all the stocks in the index at once.
  • Advantages: risk diversification, low management costs and high transparency.

👉 I think that for beginners, ETFs are much safer than single stocks because they don't require you to rely on "stock picking luck."


💡 The core concept of the book

1. Invest for the long term, don’t expect to get rich overnight ⏳

  • ETF investing is not gambling, but long-term holding.
  • The longer the time, the more significant the compound interest effect.
  • The author reminds: Instead of pursuing short-term huge profits, it is better to accumulate steadily.

2. Regular and fixed payment schedules, discipline is key 💳

  • A fixed investment every month, for example, 5,000 yuan per month.
  • Keep buying whether the market is rising or falling.
  • Long-term cost averaging avoids “chasing high and selling low”.

3. Diversify risks and reduce uncertainty📉

  • ETFs themselves already help you diversify your holdings in stocks of different companies.
  • Even if a single company has problems, the impact on the overall index will be limited.
  • Reduce the risk of losing money due to "individual stock missteps".

4. Passive income, build financial freedom💵

  • When you hold an ETF with stable dividends, it is equivalent to having cash flow.
  • Over a long period of time, if the passive income is sufficient to cover living expenses, you will achieve financial freedom.

5. Investment mentality is more important than skills 🧠

  • Market fluctuations are inevitable, so don't panic when the market falls.
  • The success or failure of investment is 70% mentality and 30% skills.
  • We must learn "patience + discipline + long-term persistence".

📈 ETF types mentioned in the book

Taiwan Stock Exchange ETF

  • For example: Taiwan 50 (0050), High Dividend ETF (0056).
  • Features: Tracks large Taiwanese companies, with high diversification and stable dividends.

US stock ETFs

  • For example: S&P 500 Index ETF (VOO), Total Market ETF (VTI).
  • Features: Covering the world's most competitive companies, with strong long-term value-added potential.

Thematic ETFs

  • For example: technology ETF, environmental protection ETF.
  • Features: Targeted at specific industries, with higher risks but also high potential returns.

👉 The author recommends that beginners start with "broad-cap ETFs" because they have the lowest risk and are easiest to hold for the long term.


📒 Practical tips in the book

  1. Save money first and then invest : Develop a saving habit to avoid living month by month.
  2. Set goals : such as retirement funds and children's education funds.
  3. Learn to automate : automatically deduct money at regular intervals to avoid laziness or emotional influences.
  4. Invest in batches : avoid investing too much at one time and reduce the risk of market fluctuations.
  5. Long-term holding : at least 5-10 years or more, the compound interest effect will become obvious first.

🌍 "Your First ETF Financial Management Book" inspires people in Hong Kong and Taiwan

Hong Kong people

  • The investment culture tends to favor stock and property speculation, but the risks are high.
  • ETFs offer another "simple, stable, and diversified" option suitable for working professionals.

Taiwanese

  • High-dividend ETFs (such as 0056) are particularly popular because people pursue "dividends + stable cash flow".
  • The ideas in the book remind us: Don’t just look at interest rates; long-term performance and asset appreciation are more important.

🤔 What do you think?

The editor believes that the greatest value of "Your First ETF Financial Management Book" is that it simplifies investment .
Many novices believe that investing requires professionalism and constant market observation, but the author uses his own experience to prove this:

  • No need to trade stocks all day
  • No need to chase hot stocks
  • As long as you choose the right ETF, invest regularly and hold it for a long time, you can accumulate wealth

For places like Hong Kong and Taiwan where life is stressful and office workers don’t have time to research stocks, this “lazy investment method” is really the best!


🎉 Editor’s Summary

The core message of "Your First ETF Financial Management Book":

  • ETF = Diversified Investment + Low Cost + Simple and Easy
  • Regular fixed amount, long-term holding, accumulate wealth through compound interest📈
  • Investing is not about short-term speculation, but about patience and discipline.
  • With passive income as the goal, gradually move towards financial freedom💵
  • Suitable for beginners and office workers, applicable in Hong Kong and Taiwan🌍

👉 So next time you think "investing is too complicated" or "I don't know how to pick stocks," open "Your First ETF Investment Book" and you'll discover: investing can actually be simple, stable, and everyone can do it! 📘✨

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